The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-10-02
|CoL. John 0VERTON, SR.
One Of the Wealthy and Melted Land
marks of Tennessee.
visit 10 HIS Elegant Home on the
Franklin Pike, Near Nashville
Opinion OF Cleveland.

but has epent almost his entire life
nesr Naehvi.le, yet his extensive in
tereats here make his pame familiar Il
nesrly every man, woman and chile
in the Bluff City and vicinity. Hi
West Tennessee ettate lie msnsg,
with singular success by his worthy
con, Col. John 0'erton, IT,, and hai
resulted In the accumulation OF an
Independent fortune for both.
During a recent visit to Nashville,
q staff correspondent OF the APPEAL
visited "Trsvser's R1st," Col. Over.
toms elegant and comfortable home.
II il situated seven miles from the
city, on the FIanklin turnpike, after
leaving which the visitor is driven
over a half mile Of besg ,iiully windi ng
and well kept road to the residence,
built on the summit Of a lovely green
4, snd shaded kaoll. La every direction
Nhe eyes feast on nothing but Datursl
and artificial pietaresque landscape
scenes, hundreds Of acres of which
belong to Col. Overton. The house, q
simple one from an architecture
standpoint, is q two.story frame, yet
tasteiully otnamensed, and the int.
rior bears no evidence oil lavish ex.
trsvaRance. In this statement there
10 no intention to convey the impress.
Hion OF primitive simplicity, and yet
this Is the distinguished old gentle.
mani. nhIAf AnHaht A..
arranged with view to ease and
comfort, with iost enough in the way
Of establishment to crafty q com.
meudsble pride.
When the correspondent called 10
pay bis respects anu Learn something
Of Col. 0verton's interesting history
in connection with NJ mp ale, be found
that gentleman slightly indisposed
from the ehec,s OF over ex triton and
highly dieaereesble state Of weather.
The visitor wss ushsred into bis bed
room, where, reclining on bed, he
welcomed him and extended the pro
verbie cour,esits and hcepiia,itie for
which he h q become iamous. Al.
though not ayerte 10 discourting ffesiy
on the snhj ct OF his knowledge oi
Memphis sGiiie, ye. the colonel wac
not ia q phys cal condition to do co,
and, a. he declared, 81 know very III.
tie about IL anyhow" As before
etsted, he aeyer spent but one winter
In this city.
NY father" said he, "bovght the
John Rice grant, comprising $1,000
acrca. Later h sold oEe.hali OF Il, q
quarter being 10 Andrew Jackson,
and these two laid Of the town be.
tween 1920 snd 1889. / frst visited
the place in 1871 OF 1912. Aitsrwr1
my father became slightly inter sted
10 tho John Ramsey giant, which
joined the Rice grant about where
B.Glo stree is. When he died / be
Came the owner OF il, and that's about
ls~S know from my own experiences
or past family history. As for remi
niecencss Of the early history OF Mem.
phis, know none except what have
beon published and arc widely
known"
"Did Andrew Jackson ever visit
Memphis during his term Of Office NJ
President of the United states7'
"Really, could not cay positively,
brt my impression is that he did You
probably have mel In Memphis who
co1ld Inform you dehnitsly on shat
point, aud there are no doubt other
ways By which It could be learned"
"EoN did yuur plaza here obtain
the name Of 'TrHveief's Rest F"
you zee me now almost IN the very
spot where ! was cora In 1921, In thi.
very ROOM and corner. In sore re-
sptclG the house Glands Just IA my
father bui,t IL. 10 be sure there LnyJ
beer a gfea. many rcp,iri, sud tbe
preuioen mOdCrriEat, but In the ma
jority ot eHsential olentnif ] have pre-
served the house ~ be lei. Il % ms. ]
don't wan't Ia change ., and Ipect II
live and die here. Bit for the name:
When my father, WHO Wss q 'asyel
and igdge, ss aalish,d himsek mere
be lard down thp rule inst no traveller
should lie lurEpd away from 10 dooi
on charged for enieTtair msnt. Ia car
rylng oct this role, bis h1use became
a sort oil ways Do inn. minus the com
pensation feature. You will u1der.
stand bow p spuisr II wa when 4 tell
you that one man visited him for sew
en- yeire. He aso fought law, which
kept q number o. young men here,
but these, 40 n mater II course, he
chsrged. IN those days he was q
lrtirfelor unil ..about 1870; he enjoyed
sne company and found u pleasant O.
entertain them. Gradually the title
OF Travellers 4. ct attached 10 N, aud
still remains. I'm proud Of II myself
and endesyor 10 apply the same pfin.
ciple tina, governed him. don't de.
serve any credit for the place or the
Beauties marking II, ss my father Laid
the foundation Tor ali them"
III suppose yen were In the AIMS
during the late wsrp
"Mosi certainly was, and Il come
near breaking me up In business and
turned my hair white. A curious 70
suit OF the termination OF that struggle
remains with me yet-probably o.,
only one Of the kidd in the couatrY,
When the slaves we've declared fee
from bondage, nj but one-anS had q
large number q them-took adva1.
aage Of the edioi. This one still 70
1,ains az OF Cd, referring g. accept
spy,hing for D. services save food
clothing and q plaoe 10 sleep. DuhDs
tbs remainder Of the war, alter the
emsnc patton pfooamaiila, he served
ms faithfully. Wuile The battle 81
Nashville was N progress, the she'll
were AyiEg thick ind fat over thI'
house. Tue old negroes issra were
aroused 10 gn alarming x.ent, and ha
took Ssiuge Ia q hQgthssd out IN th'
yard. he remained here la imasinl
~ seeGrity usiil b shOIlslruck Ia c oH
proximlty, when ho gave yell
'chly emery d from tho Trail 10
treat, sDd made lor a caneblake nesi
by q. that time. The shells iounC
him there and drove him slill farther
sway, and he remained until too
fght ng VS. over, sitter which he 70
termed au6 has been here ever since
Being 6i,y years Of sfe, aud rsthel
decreplt, we dent require him 10 dC
lsborloua duties. 0ne thing lie DE-
mands aud Insists upon, which Y
either a pair g boots or bootleg. Nj
has regular mania for them"
Col. oyerlon has been married
twice, his present vile being a Me